Random: hair that is sticky when wet HELP

[Soupermom]

UPDATE: Post #30


Greetings. I've have searched hair-care forums, blogs and random sights and still cannot solve the problem I am having with my hair: sections of it are "sticky" when wet.
The problem started about two years ago. I noticed a small section of my hair near the scalp on the back of my head would be "sticky" after washing/conditioning. The problem has spread to about 3/4 of the back of my head, mostly close to my scalp, but in one section the stickiness goes randomly down to the end. My hair goes to the center of my back. I'm naturally a dark-blonde and have never color treated my hair; my stylist says my hair/scalp etc. is in excellent condition. I would say my hair is fine, but thick; it is also naturally straight. I will spray Sun In on the roots of my hair, in random sections, a few times a week to give me a true blonde color. No other issues--no dry scalp, no dandruff, no split ends. I have been using different "flavors" of OGX products for several years, first the Moroccan Oil and now the GreenTea/Mint variety. I currently wash my hair every other day. I have tried washing it more often, less often, soaking/rinsing with apple cider vinegar, de-tox/clarifying shampoos and even washing with Dawn dish soap (which, by the way, left my hair very smooth, silky and shiny overall), but NOTHING makes a dent with this problem. If I allow my hair to air-dry it WILL NOT DRY, even after many, many hours. Same situation for blow drying on the cold setting. This area also has a funky smell to it when wet. I'm at the end of my rope trying to figure this out. It takes me forever to get ready when I shower because I spend so long drying my hair. Does anyone have ANY suggestions on what I can try?

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

A quick search says try using a tar based shampoo.

Another treatment I found (again, just a quick search), says to mix equal parts baking soda and baby shampoo to a thick paste (2-3 TBLS for short hair, more for longer). Spread over scalp and hair to cover. Cover with a shower cap, sit 20 minutes. Wet the hair/scalp. Run hands through hair/scalp 4 to 5 times to make suds, but don't massage it. Rinse throughly. Mix a solution of 1:6 apple cider vinegar and water, pour over hair. Do not rinse; gently squeeze to get excess moisture out. Wrap in soft towel and gently squeeze, don't rub. Comb gently with wide tooth comb. Repeat treatment once a week, and use the vinegar solution daily after shampoo (no conditioners).


if nothing works, go see a doctor. It could be a fungal infection or it could be hormonal; could be seborrheic dermatitis (which is where the coal tar shampoo works).

 

[FigmentSpark]

I was going to say that maybe you weren't rinsing quite enough (easy to miss spots with a lot of hair), but as soon as you said "funky smell", I'd recommend talking to your doctor. Short of that, maybe try another shampoo just to see if that helps.

 

[Poohlove]

When we were kids I styled my brothers hair with Vaseline, Prell shampoo is the only thing that took it out. You could try that.

 

[NotUrsula]

Dermatologist. That whole "spreading out from one spot" phenomenon sounds like you might have some kind of fungal infection on your scalp that may be spreading to the hair itself.

When my DS was going through puberty he had a similar problem with a nasty scalp odor, but it affected his entire scalp, and it was hormonal; once his growth spurt of the time stopped, the smell stopped, but it lasted a LONG 6 months, over the course of which he grew from 4'8" to 6'1". His head smelled like rotting meat, and it REEKED, wet or dry. He was getting tortured at school because of the smell.

The dermatologist told us that the only hope was removing every speck of natural oil from the scalp, because the oil was causing the odor, and the hormone surge was churning it out double-time. Her recommendation was to use a shampoo with a very high detergent content as often as it took to remove it. What we ended up with was something very cheap; V05 Kiwi-Lime, which was $1/bottle at the supermarket. It worked as long as he washed his hair 2X daily. Of course, it also made his hair very dry, so we had to also use a conditioner on it to restore the moisture -- basically replacing oil that smelled bad with oil that smelled good.

(That shampoo is a bit more expensive 10 years later; now it has gone up to about a buck-twenty-five, LOL.)

 

[DLgal]

Your scalp is probably not in as good condition as you think it is. You likely have a skin condition that is causing "weeping" of fluids that dry to a sticky feeling crust. I'd see a dermatologist, personally.

Also, my hair is thick and it really doesn't air dry either. I mean, it WILL dry eventually, but it takes many many hours and it can't even be the least bit humid. Not sure why you would try to dry your hair on the cool setting...that's not what that setting is for. I have to use the highest heat setting on my ultra powerful Babyliss Pro hairdryer and even then, we are talking 15 min minimum to dry my chin length hair.

I recommend Selsun Blue Naturals shampoo (the one that is clear and has Salicylic Acid as the active ingredient). You need to try and clear up whatever condition you have going on in your scalp and this shampoo helped my son's INSANE pubescent oily scalp/comedone situation (he had what looked like dandruff but much larger, and was essentially solidified sebum balls). I have a type of dermatitis on my face that causes weeping and crusting over and I treat it with AHAs and retinol, but salicylic acid is a comparable treatment for the scalp.

 

[DLgal]

Also, if you think it might be fungal, try the original formula of Selsun Blue. The one that is actually blue. This is what a dermatologist will recommend for any scalp fungus situation. They might write you a prescription for a stronger version, but the OTC one is worth a try to see if there is any improvement.

 

[AustinTink]

I can't speak to the smell, but T-Gel has worked for my husband's temperamental scalp.

 

[mousefan73]

IF it’s shampoo build up try this. But I’d still get a Dermo to check it out. The whole never drying is wierd.
Edit. Can’t attach a picture. But it’s neutrogena anti residue shampoo

 

[Soupermom]

Wow! Thanks everyone for your suggestions! I have tried the apple-cider vinegar rinse multiple times with no improvements. I tried drying on a cool setting because that was suggested on another site. Maybe I will give the Selsun Blue and/or VO5a try and if that doesn't work I will go see my dermatologist. This started as I was going through menopause so maybe it it hormonal.

Thanks again. I'm willing to hear any other suggestions someone may have too.

 

[Soupermom]

Your scalp is probably not in as good condition as you think it is. You likely have a skin condition that is causing "weeping" of fluids that dry to a sticky feeling crust. I'd see a dermatologist, personally.

Also, my hair is thick and it really doesn't air dry either. I mean, it WILL dry eventually, but it takes many many hours and it can't even be the least bit humid. Not sure why you would try to dry your hair on the cool setting...that's not what that setting is for. I have to use the highest heat setting on my ultra powerful Babyliss Pro hairdryer and even then, we are talking 15 min minimum to dry my chin length hair.

I recommend Selsun Blue Naturals shampoo (the one that is clear and has Salicylic Acid as the active ingredient). You need to try and clear up whatever condition you have going on in your scalp and this shampoo helped my son's INSANE pubescent oily scalp/comedone situation (he had what looked like dandruff but much larger, and was essentially solidified sebum balls). I have a type of dermatitis on my face that causes weeping and crusting over and I treat it with AHAs and retinol, but salicylic acid is a comparable treatment for the scalp.

I checked out Selsun Blue and I guess I’m confused after reading the labels. I don’t have ANY itching, flakes or scabs and once my hair is dry, it feels fine and is not oily.

 

[3boymthr]

I'm prone to fungal infections of the skin - I've gotten them on my forehead, chest, legs etc. They often smell bad are usually itchy and often look or feel moist. When i first started getting them a co-worker suggested I try a brief experiment.

Apply a small bit of cortisone to the affected scalp. Does it get worse or start itching? then it's fungal. Does it get better or stay the same then it's probably not a fungal infection.

Apply a bit of anti-fungal cream or rinse with a toner with salicylic acid in it (clean and clear astringent or similar). Does it tingle sting then feel better - probably a fungal infection. Does nothing happen - probably not a fungal infection.

It could also be an allergy to something you're using. My son had a horrible problem with smelly pits. Foul odor, weeping. By process of elimination we figured out that the problem was the deodorant he was using. He switched products and things got better.

 

[DLgal]

I checked out Selsun Blue and I guess I’m confused after reading the labels. I don’t have ANY itching, flakes or scabs and once my hair is dry, it feels fine and is not oily.

Wait, so it's only sticky when it's wet? I'd give the Neutrogena Anti residue shampoo a try then. I have to use it once a week because styling product build up causes my hair to feel "heavy." I'd also stop using sun in and literally every other hair product right now, and see what happens after using the Neutrogena shampoo. That stuff will strip EVERYTHING off the surface of your hair. I'd also have someone else take a REALLY close look at your scalp where it gets sticky with a very bright LED flashlight. You may be overlooking something there.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

you might also try a water softener if you have hard water

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I’d stope using any hair products except a clarifying shampoo and conditioner.

If that doesn’t clear it up, it head to a dermatologist. They’ll be able to look closely at your scalp and see if there’s some areas of irritation where this is actually coming from your scalp. They’ll also have the ability to suss our if it’s bacterial, fungal, hormonal, allergy etc.

Trial and error can really make things worse as treatments for bacterial issues can make fungal issues worse etc.

 

[mousefan73]

Let us know what the Dermo says.. I am curious...

 

[Soupermom]

Thanks again everyone. Just to clarify a few things...when I said it takes a long time to dry my hair, I just mean that section. I could dry my whole head in about ten-fifteen minutes if it wasn't for this spot. It now takes me at least 20 minutes just for this area. It is sticky from roots to ends, more or less, in this area. Scalp is not sticky or flaky or itchy and my hair dresser of 25 years (so she knows my scalp) says it looks great. I have tried several clarifying shampoos, I know two were "charcoal" based. I can't remember if I've tried the Neutrogena or not. I do not use any styling products in this "bad" area, just shampoo and maybe conditioner--but that is only on the ends. I use hairspray, but again, not in this area. I have probably used 5-6 different shampoos during this time with no difference. I was really hoping someone might have a solution without going to the dermatologist (scheduling is an issue these days and mine is over an hour away), but I will go if necessary. I might try the Neutrogena.

 

[DLgal]

Thanks again everyone. Just to clarify a few things...when I said it takes a long time to dry my hair, I just mean that section. I could dry my whole head in about ten-fifteen minutes if it wasn't for this spot. It now takes me at least 20 minutes just for this area. It is sticky from roots to ends, more or less, in this area. Scalp is not sticky or flaky or itchy and my hair dresser of 25 years (so she knows my scalp) says it looks great. I have tried several clarifying shampoos, I know two were "charcoal" based. I can't remember if I've tried the Neutrogena or not. I do not use any styling products in this "bad" area, just shampoo and maybe conditioner--but that is only on the ends. I use hairspray, but again, not in this area. I have probably used 5-6 different shampoos during this time with no difference. I was really hoping someone might have a solution without going to the dermatologist (scheduling is an issue these days and mine is over an hour away), but I will go if necessary. I might try the Neutrogena.

What I would recommend as just a trial is wash your hair with Neutrogena Anti Residue and DO NOT put any conditioner on it at all. Let the shampoo stay in for 5 minutes after you lather it. Rinse it with distilled water. Pull up the rest of your hair into a bun except that part. Blow dry it. Then see how that hair in that area feels. If it's not sticky and feels normal, I'd say your culprit is simply either hard water mineral buildup OR the wrong kind of shampoo/conditioner and perhaps oily hair in that one spot due to hormones.

Does your shampoo have Sodium Lauryl Sulfate? Many people are trying to avoid this ingredient, but to be honest, you kind of need to use a shampoo containing sulfates in order to really clean your hair if you have hard water. Also, do not use a "moisturizing" shampoo or conditioner, just use one for normal hair.

Another thought is that it's simply damaged hair. Do you color it at all? Sun in is VERY damaging and the equivalent of bleaching it. I'd stop using that altogether if you want your hair texture to improve.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I wonder if the bleach in the Sun In might be killing off some of the “good bacteria” of your scalp and allowing a fungus or yeast to take over? (Sort of like an antibiotic does.) First I would try stopping the Sun In for a month or two, to see. I second trying the miconazole cream - maybe put it on those areas an hour or two before shampooing. I also found this shampoo that has an anti-fungal agent in it (below). I think the Sun In might be the problem, so these things without stopping it may not work alone, but experiment. I agree that if these suggested remedies don’t work, to also see a dermatologist.

https://www.healthyhairplus.com/Ant...MIk_OW6bSM7AIVJ_3jBx38VwxXEAQYBSABEgLwmvD_BwE

 

[cobright]

I actually read an article some time ago on "smelly hair syndrome ". Search that and a lot will come up. The most common culprit is seborrheic dermatitis, and most of the stories end happily after treatment with a coal tar soap (not to be confused with the currently hip charcoal ".

The hair not drying seems to support something like SD as it causes an overproduction of oils.

Good luck.